Refrigerated vending machine



Nov. 22, 1949 c. E. BOURACIER REFRIGERATED VENDING MACHINE 2 Shets-Sheet l Filed March 5, 1945 Nov. 22, 1949 c. E. BOURACIER 2,488,798

REFRIGERATED VENDING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I //Vz /1/TOE,

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Patented Nov. 22, 1949 7 2,488,798 REFRIGERATED VENDING MACHINE Cyril Eugene Bouracier, Warlingham, England Application March 5, 1945, Serial No. 581,093 In Great Britain January 11, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires January 11, 1964 11 Claims. 1

This invention has reference to coin-freed Vending machines adapted for the automatic sale of perishable goods, such as bars or packages of ice-cream, blocks of butter, containers of cream and similar commodities (hereinafter referred to as packages), which it is required to maintain at a requisite low temperature until delivery from the machine. The type of machine of this character already proposed, and to which the invention relates, includes a refrigerating chamber for the storage of a supply of suitable refrigerant, such as solid carbon dioxide (dry ice), a plurality of chutes for holding stacks of the packages cooled by the refrigerating chamber and capable of discharge by gravity, and coin-controlled means for securing such discharge into a delivery passage leading to the exterior of the machine.

The present invention has among its objects to improve the efficiency of machines of this type chiefly by reducing to a minimum the possibility of heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outside atmosphere directly through the outer insulated Walls of the machine and to confine the abstraction of heat as much as possible to or via the packages and air in the goods chutes; to obstruct the entry of fresh air or heat into the machine when the goods are being delivered; to insulate the refrigerating chamber thoroughly from the mechanism and so prevent frosting of the working parts; to enable very low temperature refrigerants (e. g. dry ice) to be employed without over-freezing the goods; to

provide a simple and efficient operating mechanism; and to arrange for ready accessibility to the package chutes and refrigerating chamber.

With these and other objects in view an embodiment of the present coin-freed refrigerating vending machine comprises broadly an insulated casing having a base furnished with a valvecontrolled delivery aperture, a magazine revolubly mounted within the casing on said base and comprising a central refrigerant chamber containing a receptacle for the refrigerant and a removable heat-insulating vacuum shell enclosing the receptacle, said chamber being surrounded by a plurality of package chutes each with an open bottom adapted to register with said delivery aperture, heat conductors extending between each chute and the interior of said vacuum shell, and coin-controlled operating means to rotate the magazine and sequentially open the delivery aperture valve to secure discharge of a package by gravity after a chute has passed saidv aperture.

The term vacuum shell is used as a short description for a double-walled or jacketed shell of glass or other suitable material, having the air evacuated from the space between the two walls (i. e. from between the inner wall and its jacket), said shell being hollow with a closed end and preferably substantially cylindrical or domed shape to enclose the refrigerant. The invention is however not limited to any particular shape of this double-walled vacuum shell. For convenience, and to secure best results, this vacuum shell is preferably disposed in inverted fashion over the refrigerant container with its closed or domed end upwards and the lip of its open mouth seated on a rubber or other soft packing ring. The rotatable magazine is advantageously provided with a top lid closing the refrigerating chamber, whilst the main insulated casing is provided with an insulated lid immediately over the refrigerating chamber through which the vacuum shell can be removed and the refrigerant replenished.

In constructing the rotatable magazine, a good insulation is furnished directly underneath the refrigerating chamber extending to the bottom plate of the magazine which seats revolubly on the base of the insulated casing, and a component of this insulation may be an evacuated hollow capsule around the edge of which is sprung a rubber or other soft shock and heat insulating ring.

The aforesaid valve-controlled delivery aperture in the base leads to a discharge passage and to secure fully the objects already outlined it is a feature in the preferred embodiment of the invention to dispose a second valve in the dischar e passage and to provide a customer-operated flap at the exit of the dischar e passage through which the vended packages are received.

Such a flap would be linked with the second valve so that both are opened and closed simultaneously. The arrangement is also such that when the delivery aperture valve in the casing base is moved into the open position it locks the second valve in its closed position.

In order that the said invention may be clearly l understood reference is directed to the following description of an embodiment by way of example Figure 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the 8 plane lI-II of Figure l and Figure 3 is a perspective sketch of the operating mechanism.

The main features of the illustrated embodiment are the insulated main casing comprising a cylindrical wall I with a vertical door 2, an insulated lid 3 and a base 4. In the interior of the casing is mounted the magazine designated as a whole by the reference letter A and this is revolubly mounted on the casing base 4 by the vertical axial support 5. In the base l is a delivery aperture 5 controlled by the valve i. The revoluble magazine A comprises a central refrigerant chamber 8 containing aareceptacle :9 for dry ice and a removable heat-insulating vacuum shell l enclosing the receptacle -9. It is covered by a lid 25. Grouped around th chamber is a plurality of metal-lined package chutes .H which are equally spaced as seen in .Figure In the example there are six such chutes. Each chute II has a transparent cover sheet Na and an open bottom 12 which is adapted to register momentarily with theapertur 5 as the magazine rotates to move each chute across the aperture.

FEach chute l I has an 'L-shaped heat conductor l3 of metal having good heat-conducting properties, such as copper, extending between the same and the interior of the vacuum shell l0 whereby the 'dry ice cools to a very low temperature the packages and air in the chutes and heat transfer efiected between the refrigerant in receptacle 9 and the remainder of the machine via the chutes H confining the abstraction of heat for all practical purposes to such channels or conductors IS. The conductors 13 have gas vents I4. Through-these the heavy-carbon dioxide gas given 03 by the dry ice is conducted into the chutes ll. ,Pocketed in the base of the magazine are a number of moisture absorption units l5, one corresponding to each chute ll, each holding a supply/of calcium chloride 'or equivalent.

Suitable coin-controlling and coin-detecting means -(not shown) is incorporated for the purpose of freeing and controlling a main operating shaft 1'6 (Figure 3') adapted to be manipulated by the customer in the manner described later. This coin-controlled operating means is adapted to rotate the magazine A through the revoluble axial support 5 in the manner hereinafter described. It synchronously. :opens the delivery aperture valve '1 to secure discharge of a package by gravity after a chute H has Passed over the delivery. aperture 6.

In the example the magazine turns on a vertical axis and is a hollow insulated structure of hexagonal form (see FigureZ) with a chute II in each ofits sides.

'The vacuum shell is constructed as hereinbefore set forth with the inner wall l9 and exterior jacket 20, and has a domed top -and open bottom mouth,being disposed in an inverted manner inside the refrigerating chamber 8. .The lip I! of the mouth seats snugly on a soft .rubber, cork, '0]: equivalent ring l8 at the base of the refrigerating chamber. Between this ring 18 and the'bottomplate 2! of the magazine, 'i. e. directly underneath the refrigerating chamber 8, a good heat insulation is provided. This consists .of an intermediate hollow capsule 22 of glass or other suitable material and having .all air evacuated from its interior, of a rubber or other shock and heat insulating ring 23 sprung or fitted around the :edge of said capsule .22, and of slab 24 of cork or the like sandwiching the said evacuated capsule 22.

The magazine is adapted to be rotated through the cycle.

the ratchet device 26 on its central vertical axis including the axial support 5 and the upper steadying journal 2'! which runs in a socket on the under face of the casing lid 3. The method of rotation and the inter-action of various parts is described later with reference to Figure 3.

The valve-controlledi'aperture G'leads to a discharge passage 28 the exit to which is covered by a flap or door 29 operable by the customer. Be-

tween the fiap 29 and the valve l is a second valve 39 which, as will appear later, is coupled with the flap '2'!) and locked and unlocked by said flap.

Referring to Figure 3 the aforesaid main operating shaft H5 is under the control of any suitablecrfin-ireed mechanism, not illustrated, which forms no part of the present invention. It is operated by "the customer through an exterior handle 35. This mechanism is designed to operate .and discharge a package by rotating the handle 3! through a complete circle, this rotation advancing the magazine one step (of 60 in the ,present case) so as to move one chute across the delivery aperture 6 and. bring the magazine to rest with the next succeeding chute adjacent the aperture 6 'inreadiness for a repetition of As the bottom mouth l2 of a chute comes into register with the aperture 6 during its passage across said aperture, the lowermost package in the chute falls by gravity into the aperture, and the remainder of the stack of packages are cut on and still supported in the chute as the chute mouth 12 passes over the edge of the aperture; the stack of packages are normally resting on the upper surface of the base 6 and slide around thereon as the magazine rotates.

In the drawingssee particularly Figure 2, the magazineA is shown in a position wherein one chute l I (:c) is directly over the aperture 5, which is in line with the flap 29; there is, however,

v no dwell in such .aposition, the chute Il(a:) moving on .a further 30, .and the succeeding chute l.|(y) taking up its position 30 .in front of the aperture 8., the .lat'ter thus being blocked off by the solid body part a of the magazine A.

One revolution .of the shaft 16 imparts to the connecting rod 32, through the bevel gear 33 one full to and fro stroke. The rod 32 is attached to .an arm of the ratchet device 26, and its stroke and the .length of said arm, are so arranged that .a 60' step is given to the shaft 5 and thus to the magazine A.

On the shaft [6 is a cam 34 co-acting with a lever 35 fixed on the axle spindle 35 of the valve 1. The valve l is normally held, by spring 31 or otherwise, in the closed position illustrated in the drawings. The cam 3 is so profiled and angularly disposed on the shaft I6 that the first part (say about of its rotation is idle; this idle movement .is synchronised to enable the shaft l 5 .to bring the magazine A round a complete 60 step, thus causing a chute ll to pass over aperture 6 and deposit a package therein on top of valve '1. The latter, at this juncture then opens as the .cam 34 raises the lever 35. The package is then delivered from the aperture 6. The abrupt drop in the camcontour enables the lever 35 to he sharply pulled back into its original position (as shown in Figure 3) by its spring 31 or the like, and so restore the valve 1 to its closed positionin readiness for a repetition causing the magazine to advance another 60" step.

' Dealing now with the second valve 38 and flap 29,, when the latter .is opened by the purchaser raising the same, its axle spindle 38 is rotated and, through the levers 39 and 40 and link M,

Suitable means are incorporated to ensure that the valves 1 and 30 cannot be open at the same time. To this end, on the shaft I6 is a locking disc 43 having a radial slot 44 with which interacts a quadrant 45 fast on the axle spindle 42; When the shaft I6 is turned to a position where its cam 34 opens the'valve 1,.the locking disc is simultaneously rotated so that its slot 44 moves out of register with thequadrant 45, and movement of the latter together'with its spindle 42 in a direction to open the valve 30 is obstructed by the locking disc. As a matter of fact, any movement of the main operating shaft I6 away from the position illustrated in Figure 3 will lock the flap 29 and valve 30 in the closed position.

From an inspection of the drawings, particularly Figure 1, it will be appreciated how the various thermal objects set forth earlier in this specification are achieved. The refrigerant is located centrally within the group of chutes l I, and the latter are built in the magazine with interposed insulated material, such as cork, expanded ebonite or kapok referred to by the reference Z. The refrigerant is thoroughly insulated by the vacuum shell Ill and also by the underneath insulation 24 sandwiching the evacuated disc 22. Thus heat transfer is first of all prevented from taking place directly through the main insulated casing parts I, 2, 3 and 4, as the cold temperatures generated in the chamber 8 will normally be effective radially therefrom through the chutes I l. The shell 10 insulates in the upward direction and effectively prevents all but negligible heat transmission through the cover and insulated cover 3. The use of the conductive elements l3 ensures that the full heat-abstracting efficiency of the refrigerant is applied directly to and through the chutes II. The employment of the valve I and the timing of its opening to occur after the rotation of the magazine A obstructs entry of air from the outside atmosphere into the machines interior, and this function of the valve 1 is aided, in th embodiment shown, by the employment of the second valve and flap 29 and their interworking and interlocking devices. The thorough insulation 22 and 24 and the foregoing interworking valves prevent frosting of the working parts, whilst the interposition of the vacuum shell Hi between the refrigerant and the chutes ll acts as a buffer to prevent the application of the very low dry ice temperature to the packages, the interchange being limited by the conductivity of the elements l3. The chamber 8 is readily accessible through the top of the machine, and the chutes may be attended to in turn by rotating the magazine and opening the door 2.

Any moisture not absorbed by the units l5 drains into the chamber 41 in the base 4 underneath the magazine, and is conducted away down the drain-off duct 46 into the receptacle 48.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating vending machine, an insulated casing having a base with a delivery aperture therein, a valve for controlling delivery through said aperture, a hollow magazine mounted for rotation about a vertical axis within the casing on said base and comprising a central refrigerant chamber, a receptacle for a refrigerant within said chamber a plurality of vertical package chutes each with an open bottom adapted to register with said delivery aperture, said chutes being formed within the thickness of the wall of said-chamber, and a plurality of heatconductors extending between each chute and-the interiorof said chamber, said conductors being apertured for conducting refrigerantvapor from said chame.

, ber to the chute interiors; V

2. In a'ven'ding machine as claimed in claim 1,

encircling the base of the refrigerant receptacle.

3. In a vendin machine according to claim 1,

a heat insulation structure in the base of the hollow magazine which includes an evacuatedv hollow capsule sandwiched between layers of cork or equivalent insulation.

4. In a vending machine according'to claim 1,

an arrangement wherein the heat conductors are of L-shape .Withjtheirl ends respectively opening into the base of the refrigerant chamber and the package chutes.

5. In a vending machine according to claim 1, a construction wherein the heat conductors are disposed above an evacuated hollow capsule forming part of a heat insulation structure in the base of the hollow magazine.

6. In a vending machine according to claim 1, a construction in which the delivery aperture in the base of the insulated casing leads to a discharge passage terminating in a flap and through which packages are received, and a second valve is'disposed in said passage between the delivery aperture valve and said flap and'movable with said flap to open position only when the valve controlling the delivery aperture is closed.

7. In a vending machine according to claim 6, a construction wherein the delivery aperture valve is provided with means to lock the second valve closed whilst the delivery aperture valve is open.

8. In a vending machine according to claim 6,

the provision of a linkage between the flap and the second valve whereby they are opened and closed simultaneously.

9. In a vending machine according to claim 1, the employment of a heat insulation structure in the base of the hollow magazine, comprising, a base block of insulating material, an evacuated hollow capsule lying upon said base block, a ring of insulation material interposed between the periphery of said capsule and the inner wall of the magazine, and a floor for the refrigerant chamber consisting of heat insulating material disposed above the said capsule.

10. In a vending machine, a lagged base, a lagged side enclosure wall mounted on said base and a lagged plug lid fitting the top opening of the enclosing wall, the said lagged base, side wall and lid together constituting a heat insulated casing, a thick-walled hollow open-top magazine drum within said casing which is revoluble about a vertical axis and has a plurality of open bottom chutes within the thickness of its side wall so that stacks of packages accommodated within said chutes rest on and ride over the base of the casing, refrigerant receptacle within the magazine drum, metallic means for conducting heat to the interior of the refrigerant receptacle from the package chutes, a package discharge duct extending from the surface over which the packages ride, down through the base, and sequentially open drop-flap doors at opposite ends of said duct for preventing ingress of heat from the atmosphere to the casing interior and for protecting operating mechanism situated below the casing base from the chilling effects of the refrigerated atmosphere within the casing.

aesavos 11. A vending maclfine, comprising a closed and lagged cylindrical casing with its longitudinal axis vertically disposed, a hollow magazine drum of polygonal cross section revolubly mounted within said casing and having a plurality of packing chutes formed one within the thickness of .each of the sides xof the polygon, said chutes having open bottoms so that stacks of packages therein rest directly on the floor of the casing, an assembly of heat insulating elements constituting :a floor for the interior of the magazine drum, a refrigerant receptacle above said insuiated drum floor and tubular metallic ducts extending between said drum floor :and the rear wall of each package chute lor-conductin refrigerant vapors from said refrigerant receptacle to said chutes.

CYRIL EUGENE BOURACIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,777,269 Webber Sept. 30, 1930 1,796,133 Webber Mar. 10, 1931 2,104,034 Hamel Jan. 4, 1938 2,176,823 Richardson Oct. 17, 1939 2,240,928 Hamel May 6, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 450,195 Great Britain 1936 574,178 Great Britain Dec. 2'7, 1945 

